


Fact Check

by tiigi



Series: Prove It [2]
Category: IT (Movies - Muschietti), IT - Stephen King
Genre: Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Fluff and Humor, M/M, Richie is a dumbass but he’s Eddie’s dumbass
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-24
Updated: 2020-02-24
Packaged: 2021-02-27 19:47:27
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,301
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22871236
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tiigi/pseuds/tiigi
Summary: The first time they meet, Richie is wearing a hot pink Hawaiian t-shirt and denim shorts.***They meet in person, and it’s onlyslightlya disaster.
Relationships: Eddie Kaspbrak/Richie Tozier
Series: Prove It [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1644082
Comments: 30
Kudos: 287





	Fact Check

**Author's Note:**

> People seemed to want a sequel so here you are! :D

The first time they meet, Richie is wearing a hot pink Hawaiian t-shirt and denim shorts. Eddie shouldn’t be surprised really because it’s exactly what Richie had said he would wear when they were discussing it, but it’s still so shocking to him that Richie was being serious that he stays hidden in the shadows for a few minutes longer than necessary.

He’s learnt over the last few weeks that Richie ‘Trashmouth’ Tozier is exactly that: a trashmouth. He has a lot of inappropriate jokes up his sleeve and he’s the king of sending inappropriate messages at inappropriate times, but for some reason Eddie had always assumed he would be different in person, an ‘all bark no bite’ kind of thing. He didn’t think _anyone_ would be lacking enough self respect to go outside - _in public -_ dressed in a fuchsia Hawaiian shirt and _denim fucking shorts._

It turns out that Eddie is the only clown here, though, because there is Richie, squatting to tie his shoelace up and then losing balance and falling onto his ass. His glasses slide off the bridge of his nose and he almost pokes himself in the eye trying to put them on again before he’s fully stood up. At this point, Eddie decides it might be too cruel to continue watching Richie embarrass himself, so he emerges from the side alley behind Starbucks that he was hiding in like a fucking creeper. It’s not his fault, sue him for wanting to make sure he wasn’t about to be kidnapped and probed.

But sure enough, Richie is Richie is Richie. He still hasn’t noticed Eddie by the time they’re two feet apart and Eddie is so painfully awkward that he can’t just say, “hi Richie, it’s Eddie, I’m standing right behind you.”

Instead, he does what any normal person would do in this situation, and clears his throat. What he failed to consider is that because Richie is involved, the situation can never be resolved normally. 

Without turning around, Richie says, “Hey, dude, if you’re gonna cough on other people at least take them out to dinner first.”

Eddie frowns, stuck halfway between offended and disgusted, which is pretty much his usual response to Richie’s jokes.

“That makes no sense,” He replies, nose scrunched up in confusion. Maybe Eddie should be more concerned about Richie propositioning ‘a stranger’ on _their_ coffee date, but honestly he’s more worried about the fact that Richie _still_ hasn’t looked around. Seriously, the dude could be approached by an axe wielding psychopath and he probably wouldn’t bat an eyelash.

At Eddie’s voice, though, Richie does turn around, and the look in his eye is a cross between excited and devastated. They’ve been talking over the phone for a few weeks now and Eddie would recognise Richie’s voice anywhere, so it’s nice to know Richie does too, even if he is a dumbass about it.

“Oh fuck,” he says, which is ideally not how you want to be greeted on your first date with a person. “How long have you been standing there?”

“Long enough to deduce that you’re an idiot.” Eddie says, but he can’t help grinning when he says it because Richie’s glasses are still a little skewed and he clearly missed a few spots when shaving this morning and fuck it, his dumbassery is _endearing_ goddamnit. 

“Well shit,” Richie clicks his fingers in mock frustration. “Guess I better crawl back to my swamp then. If Eddie Spaghetti doesn’t love me then what’s the point?”

“Absolutely not,” Eddie says firmly. He curls his fingers around Richie’s bicep as a pretence to start directing him towards the Starbucks store, but really he just wanted to feel up Richie’s bicep. It’s a nice bicep, so it was a good move. “I was promised coffee and no one’s leaving till I get coffee.”

“Wow. I love a man who can take charge.” Richie gives Eddie a shit-eating grin, but he sounds a little breathless so maybe there’s a grain of truth in it after all. Eddie doesn’t know about taking charge - he’s a virgin, how well could he boss Richie around anyway? - but if it’ll get him his coffee date then he’ll be as assertive as he can.

“So, what can I get you today sir?” Richie asks as soon as they step inside. It’s hilarious that he thinks he could pass for an employee with the outfit he’s got on, and he slips into the same weird British accent he uses sometimes over the phone, but he’s cute so Eddie will allow it.

“Excuse you,” He replies, looking down at their feet next to one another to hide the warm, pink blush creeping onto his cheeks. “What makes you think you’re paying?”

“You’re a college student,” Richie points out, like he isn’t drowning in student debt himself, the loser. “You guys are all broke. This one’s one me, babe.”

And _god,_ it’s still not fair what Richie’s ‘babe’ can do to Eddie. Maybe it’s just because he’s never been in a proper relationship before, but the pet name alone has him feeling a little weak at the knees, spoiled and desirable, like he’s doing something he shouldn’t. It’s a heady headrush of a feeling, and he hasn’t quite decided whether or not he likes it yet.

“ _I_ have a stable job and three roommates. _You_ live in a swamp.” Eddie revels in Richie’s surprised laughter. He always feels like he’s accomplished something when he makes Richie laugh, like he’s worthy of the man’s time,

“Yowza, Eds, dig me a grave while you’re at it, why don’t you?” The queue dwindles down slowly but surely and then they’re at the counter ordering. Eddie chooses a simple cappuccino and Richie gets some Starbucks Special sugar monstrosity that would have Eddie’s dentist hyperventilating. It’s so very Richie to get something so extravagant and Eddie finds himself just assessing Richie in profile with a dopey grin: the elegant slope of his nose, the sharp cut of his cheekbones. Even his nerd glasses look cute.

“Fine,” Eddie concedes, looking away so that Richie doesn’t catch him staring. Not that it would be _embarrassing_ or anything, he just wouldn’t want to feed Richie’s ego any more than it already it, of course. “Let’s go Dutch?”

Whoever pays on the first date is the top, Eddie knows the law, and he’s not going down without a fight.

“Do you just wanna be my sugar daddy, Eds, is that it? ‘Cause you should have just said from the start, I woulda sent you more selfies.” Richie winks and the girl behind the counter looks like she wishes she never got out of bed this morning. Eddie’s cheeks flush red with embarrassment but he can’t help a stupid honking laugh from escaping.

“Please,” he rolls his eyes - and thanks the girl serving their drinks with a shamefaced smile. “You’d have sent me them anyway.”

“Of course I would, who am I kidding.” Richie pretends to swoon and falls heavily into an armchair with a high pitched sigh. Eddie sits opposite him and tries not to pay attention to how long Richie’s legs are, how toned his calves are, how every so often his bare skin will brush against Eddie’s clothed leg and neither of them says anything about it.

“So,” Richie takes a long sip of his coffee and doesn’t flinch, even though it must be piping hot still. “Eddie Spaghetti Kaspbrak. Tell me about your life. I wanna know everything, from the moment of conception. Don’t skimp on the gory details.”

“Jesus,” Eddie blows on his coffee to hide his smirk. 

“You know that doesn’t actually cool it down, right?” Richie points out, like a smarmy jackass. 

“You know you can suck my dick, right?” Eddie retorts, like the mature, responsible college student he is.

Richie’s face lights up, and Eddie should have known better than to make a sex joke in front of Richie Tozier. “I can?” He beams. “Cool, thanks Eddie. Is now good?”

“First detail of my life right there,” Eddie crosses his legs so they won’t keep touching Richie’s. It’s getting too distracting and he doesn’t think he could live with the shame of being found out. “I don’t put out on the first date.”

“What sort of girl do I think you are!” Richie exclaims, scandalised, which makes no sense.

“You’re dumb,” Eddie giggles again, which is super embarrassing and completely out of character but Richie just brings it out in him. Richie is smart and they both know it - he graduated early, graduated with honours - but he also legitimately has one brain cell and Eddie loves it.

“And yet here you are.” Eddie has to accept that, because yes, here he is.

“You know I only came for the free coffee,” Eddie shrugs, keeping a straight face for as long as he can manage. “I just felt bad for you, when I arrived. You clearly can’t afford nice clothes, how could you pay for my coffee as well?”

“How _dare_ you?” Richie swings his leg up onto the table and rubs at his denim clad thigh, which is really not helping Eddie get over the whole attraction thing. He is _not_ horny, he is _not_ going to pop a boner over Richie wearing denim shirts in a fucking Starbucks of all places. Life is not that cruel, right?

“I am clearly on another level of fashion that you just can’t appreciate. Just because you’d look gorgeous in anything doesn’t mean you get to scorn us folk who have to try.” Richie sniffs like he’s joking, but there’s a dusty pink blush over his cheekbones and his casual compliment has Eddie’s stomach in knots, heart cartwheeling around inside his chest. He doesn’t know how to respond to it because nobody but his mom or his friends has ever paid him a genuine compliment, but thankfully he’s saved before he has to think up an acceptable answer. 

“So,” Richie leans forward in his seat, leg now thankfully tucked away under the table where it belongs. “I seem to recall asking for your entire life story, from birth to current day.”

“Actually, it was conception, not birth.” Eddie corrects with a sarcastic shake of his head.

And then… he _talks._ He and Richie talk as the world goes on around them and customers come and go and the poor girl from behind the counter starts wiping tables. It feels like minutes have passed since they arrived but when he looks out the window, the sun has ducked under the horizon and darkness starts rolling in. Eddie has a class in the morning and he doesn’t want to be getting back too late, but he also really doesn’t want to leave. He’s having more fun with Richie than he’s had in such a long time, and it feels normal to be sitting here talking, like he could actually picture having a relationship with this guy.

“Jeez, time flies, huh?” Richie points out, sounding a little more subdued than usual. It absolutely does not warm Eddie’s heart to see that Richie is disheartened for him to leave.

“Yeah,” Eddie replies, and come on, he can say it, be brave, just _say the fucking words–_ “This was so much fun, I– I mean, ha, I kind of don’t wanna go.”

He stares so intently at the tabletop to avoid Richie’s gaze that he startles when a hand settles over his own. Richie’s hand is so big and warm and god, Eddie wants to flip his palm over and interlink their fingers but he can’t because that would be weird, right?

“Me neither.” Richie murmurs, sounding so genuine that Eddie kind of wants to cry a little bit.

“Walk me to the bus stop?” Eddie asks hopefully, and the smile he gets in return is dazzlingly bright. When Richie stands up he doesn’t let go of Eddie’s hand, and they’re walking, and they’re holding hands, and it doesn’t fucking matter if it’s weird or not because _they’re holding hands!_

“I really have had an awesome time today, Eddie. And– I didn’t say it earlier, sorry, but you– you look really nice. Pretty, I mean. Like, in a gay way.” For once, Richie’s motormouth is saying something beautiful. 

“Full homo?” Eddie checks.

“Full homo.” Richie confirms.

“I had a really nice time too.” Eddie tells him once they get to the bus stop. It’ll be arriving in under two minutes and it seems like a woefully short time to say goodbye to Richie, but he does it anyway, by spinning on his heel and slamming himself into Richie’s body for the most aggressive hug anyone has ever given. His arms wrap around Richie’s waist and he tucks his head underneath Richie’s chin and inhales. Richie smells like body spray and peanut butter. Maybe Eddie should be concerned.

But then Richie’s hand smooths up and down his back and he rests his chin on the top of Eddie’s head and it’s so comforting and wholesome that Eddie could cry. He doesn’t think he can kiss Richie yet - doesn’t know how, is _not_ willing to try in public outside Starbucks - but he places a chaste little kiss against Richie’s collarbone before he’s pulling away and the bus rolls to a stop at the curb.

“We’ll do this again sometime, yeah?” Richie calls out once Eddie’s back is turned. “I miss you already!”

Once he’s seated on the bus, Eddie pulls out his phone and types.

Eddie: _So… I just went on a date with this guy._

He rests his head against the glass and watches out of the window as Richie pulls his phone from his pocket, grins, taps out a response.

Richie: _and???_

Eddie: _You should have SEEN what he was wearing <3 _

**Author's Note:**

> Let me know what you think! <3


End file.
